TruU - Part One

Walking up and down the aisles of the super market I slowly place fill my basket with the cheapest of essentials. Cans of bean, two-minute noodles and anything else that is shelf stable and that can keep me from needing to do another shop for as long as possible.

Sighing to myself I search for the best sales on cans of tomatoes, sighing as I grab some of the home brand and cram them along with the other cheap and nasty items filling the basket. It wasn't easy to budget on zero income, especially while still paying rent in the city, the job hunt since being made redundant in my academic role having been less than fruitful.

With slumped shoulders I shuffle towards the frozen aisle, hoping to find some cheap source of vegetables, my ears perking up as  I hear a cute little chime from one of the aisles. A sharp giggling squeal erupts from a young woman standing next to a shelf of hair dye, her friend turning to her in confusion.

"I got a match!" the bubbly young blonde giggles, turning her phone around as her friend looks at the screen. The dark haired tan young woman pouts a little, her tongue briefly licking over her plump lips as she looks the picture almost lustfully.

"Holy shit, he's..." the dark haired woman chirps, her breathy sultry voice tinged with arousal.

"Hot?" the blonde giggles excitedly, biting at her lips. "I know right, I can't wait to have that all to myself. Like... Like..." she chirps, swiping through pictures before showing phone to her friend once more. "Look at that! I can't wait to have that swing between my..."

The dark haired woman's eyebrows cock as she leans back, her gaze looking at her bubbly friend in confusion.

"Wait... Wait! Is that..." she squeals, her pale green eyes going wide as she looks at her friend is disbelief. The blonde bounces a little on her heels, her tightly bound yet overwhelming bust jiggling with each and every movement.

"Ya-Huh!" she bleats dimly, wriggling her hips. "I downloaded it last night and I already got my first match. When I get my cock, do you think you'd wanna..." she begins to ask, biting at her lip as she looks hungrily at her friend.

The dark haired girl looks stunned for a moment, her shock slowly melting away as she too begins to smirk and giggle. "I mean... if you buy me dinner first" she chuckles, playfully smacking her friend on the shoulder. "Can't believe you downloaded TruU."

In an attempt to monopolize consumer time for advertising, work, and shopping various new technologies had been developed over the past decade to try and capture a sleeping audience. The best and only one to last was Dreamscape Navigator, an adapter to the humble smartphone to turn it into a trans-cutaneous neural interface.

As the wearer drifted off to sleep they would soon find themselves seated in a simple room, a basic computer interface sitting before them in order to complete additional work in the day or to merely enjoy the wonders of the internet.

However, the direct access to the jiggling gray matter inside user's skulls soon led to a gold rush of new enterprises attempted to capitalize on this entirely new market. One such company was TruU, a simple application with much dire implications.

Styled after a dating app, users were tasked to make a profile attempting to sell themselves in the best light. Pictures, descriptions, and anything else they could think of would fill the profiles with these even being viewable back outside of the Dreamscape. Users would then swipe left and right back and forth, either planning to match with a profile or discarding it like so much trash.

Once two people matched they would be set up for a short conversation, a last flurry of questions leading up to the main even. Once both parties had made heir final arrangements they would enter Dramscape Navigator, booting up the TruU Exchange program for the first and hopefully last time. As their interface reached thermal limits their minds would be ripped from their skull, the entirety of their internal self being saved and dumped down into the body of their partner.

Of course, somethings would be left behind. Essential knowledge and skills for one were too deeply ingrained, the same being said for more the emotional side of things.

These exchanges usually ended with a sharp fizzle and pop, the interface burning out from the strain as the swapped individuals would find their apps uninstalling and profiles being wiped. This usage of Dreamsacpe was not exactly legal as of yet, though where there was profit there was always companies willing to push the boundaries. Between Superlikes or paying to see just who had swiped right for you, there were plenty of ways to pay TruU money for their less than legal services.

I had installed the app months ago, having made my profile during an evening of drinking after first buying my Dreamscape Navigator. A random assortment of good...ish pictures soon sat in the TruU app, my dulled senses swiping lazily through the various profiles only to get zero matches.

I hadn't opened the app since, the first drunken night of using it to no avail being all I had really needed.

However, as I watch the bubbly blonde excitedly celebrate her own match I feel a pang of wanting. Racing through the rest of my shop I quickly begin my way home, my impatience and impulsiveness building as I quickly begin to open the app.

I wince as I spot my profile, the basic pictures filling it out of me with friends or out at bars and on hikes. The cringe only builds as I spot my profile, the drinks from the night having left me with little filter.

Jordan Hughes

30

I'm a pretty big nerd, and not just because I'm 6'4"

Love movies, games, and books

I also dig nature, going out for hikes and stuff

Own a car and 10" ;)

Usd to be a teacher

am single

Shuddering as I walk down the street, my embarrassment causing me to turn my phone closer to my chest so others can't see, I slowly move to change my profile. My thumb pauses right before I can tap the screen, a quick pop up flashing into view.

Welcome Back!

Did you know people have been swiping right on you?

You can see who wants to match with TruU Gold

Today 50% Off!!!

I stagger to a stop, my eyes glued to the second line in disbelief. There was no way my profile actually had anyone swipe right on the drunken rambling, but still... they could lie to make a sale right? My mind wanders as I begin to shuffling up the stairs to my apartment, my thumb hovering back and forth between closing the pop-up and the button to set up payment.

"That's..." I mumble under my breath, nudging the front door to my cramped apartment open with my foot as I drop the groceries to the floor. "It's still expensive but..." I mutter, the desire to simply see who had swiped right building to a fever pitch.

Pulling my wallet from my pocket I quickly pump in my credit card information, the app hungrily accepting the three figure payment as the border of the screen turns gold. A slight series of chimes bellow from my phone, an extension to the jingle that had played once the blonde had made her match.

A fresh pop up flashes on screen, a small arrow sitting beneath it to cycle through the dialogue boxes while another button merely says 'Likes'.

Welcome to TruU Gold

You won't regret your subscription

To take the tour of the app press the arrow bellow.

Otherwise, enjoy your sneak peek on future matches!